SWIMMING: Rugby Swimming Club

Rugby's swimmers with their medals from the Coventry November Open

This weekend Rugby took a team of predominantly younger swimmers over to the Coventry 50m pool for the November Open Meet.

As well as medals up for grabs for each individual age group, some were needing times for the upcoming Warwickshire’s and others just wanting to get long course times and experience in this daunting 50m pool.

The competition was tough as Coventry train there all the time. Rugby, on the other hand, swim long course only a few times a year, and it requires a different approach.

The competition were teams such as Biddulph, Co Birmingham, Camp Hill, Leek, Stafford Apex and the elite group of swimmers Derventio. Derventio seemed to have a particularly high number of swimmers in the upper age groups making it even harder for the older swimmers.

A few of Rugby’s swimmers bravely took on the 400IM, Mackenzie and Maya Patchett-Smyth along with Briony Dew and Yanna Villasis. Yanna won gold in her age group. The 200 back saw Kieran Jarvis (10yr) taking bronze and Alfie Hebb (10yr) just missing out with 4th place, with less than a second between them, both knocking 0.8 seconds off their PBs. For the girls Yanna (10yr) won bronze along with a silver for Harriet Troup (11yr). In the 50 fly Max Green (11yr) took a bronze for the boys. For the girls there was gold for Annabel Crees (9yr) and bronze for Emma Jones (9yr), a close race with only 0.50 between them.

The 200 free was a tough event with Emma (9yr) winning a gold with a 7 second PB, Annabel just missing out on 4th place. Issabelle Hobbs (10yr), Alfie and Ella Marlow (11yr) all had excellent PBs in this event.

In the 100 fly Yanna (10yr) was successful again with a bronze. In the 200 breast both Emma (9yr) and William Stamp (10yr) won a silver, Toby Marlow (11yr) just missed out on a 3rd place. The 50 back again saw medals for Annabel and Emma (9yr) with 2nd/3rd places. And Hannah Webber (14yr) received a gold.

Day two was another good day for the club. In the 100 breast, William (10yr) won bronze as did Toby (11yr), whilst Ben Jones (14yr) had a tough race and just missed out to the Derventio lads with 4th place. Erin Moran (12yr) just missed 3rd place also.

Ella (11yr) however, was very successful with a gold. Then came the very tough 200 fly. The only two daring enough to take this on were Yanna and Mackenzie, both earning gold medals, so worth the effort.

In the 50 free Rugby gained a number of medals with gold going to Annabel (9yr), silver to Adam Kenworthy-Fahy (12yr) and bronze to Emma (9yr) and Max (11yr).

In the 200IM Kieran (10yr) took gold, Annabel (9yr) bronze and Alfie (10yr), Adam (12yr), Anna Farrow (11yr) just missing a medal with 4th. Poor Hannah (14yr) had a goggle problem meaning she had to step down.

The O’Brien sisters took the 100 back by storm with a 2nd for Charlotte (12yr) and a 3rd for Libby (9yr), the boys also did well with Kieran (10yr) in 2nd and Alfie (10yr)/Adam (12yr) getting 3rd.

And to finish on a high, a very successful event for Rugby, the 50 breast saw Emma (9yr)/Ella (11yr) with golds, Annabel (9yr)/Adam (12yr)/Hannah (14yr) with silvers, Toby and Anna (11yr)/Erin (12yr)/Ben (14yr) with bronze and William just missing out on Bronze by 0.10.